$30K in damages in N-word use among blacks case

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York jury has awarded $30,000 in punitive damages to a black woman who sued her black ex-boss after he unleashed an N-word tirade at her last year.

Brandi Johnson said she was happy after the Manhattan federal jury concluded Tuesday that Rob Carmona must pay $25,000 and his organization Strive East Harlem must pay another $5,000.

Those awards are in addition to $250,000 in compensatory damages that the jury awarded Johnson last week. Carmona wiped his eyes with a towel and appeared emotional as he testified Tuesday. He said he learned his lesson that he must communicate differently than in the past.

Johnson's defense attorney accused him of crying "ghost tears" and urged jurors to award additional damages to show him that "calling somebody the N-word is a very serious thing."